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leading question

[ lee-ding ]
/ ˈli dɪŋ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR leading question ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a question so worded as to suggest the proper or desired answer.

Content related to leading question

Direct Questions vs. Reported DialogueA direct question is when you ask a question by speaking directly (e.g. “How are you doing today?”). Reported dialogue is when you report what someone else says (e.g. “Joan asked how you’re doing today.”). Reported dialogue usually uses the third person point of view. Direct Questions Direct questions usually include interrogative pronouns or adverbs. Interrogative pronouns and adverbs include words like as who, what, …
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A Mom’s Handy Word List For Questions That Won’t QuitTo save your sanity while expanding your kids' vocabulary, here's a handy word list for questions that just won't quit.
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Words related to leading question

clue, feeler, hint, leader, poser, prompt, reminder, suggest, stumper

Words nearby leading question

leading lady, leading light, leading man, leading mark, leading note, leading question, leading rating, leading reins, leading strings, leading tone, leading wind

Origin of leading question

First recorded in 1815–25
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for leading question

leading question
/ (ˈliːdɪŋ) /

noun

a question phrased in a manner that tends to suggest the desired answer, such as What do you think of the horrible effects of pollution?
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for leading question

leading question

An unfair question that is designed to guide the respondent: “You were drunk the night of the accident, weren't you, Mr. Norris?”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with leading question

leading question

A question worded so as to elicit particular information or a particular answer, as in When are you selling the business? This example assumes that the person is going to sell the business, an action that may not have been established or revealed. This expression originated with a specific meaning in law, that is, “a question that guides a witness toward a desired answer.” In court, this practice is called leading a witness and is forbidden. [Mid-1800s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.